On Sunday, the editorial board of the Kentucky Kernel published “Good Intentions, Bad Methods for SGA Resolution” that has called into question the efforts promoting diversity and inclusion by the Student Government Association. This article offered little consideration to the mission and current efforts of SGA.

SGA’s mission is to increase student influence over academic policy; to provide necessary student services; to protect and expand student substantive and procedural rights; and to better represent the student body in relation with the faculty, administration, Board of Trustees, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

SGA is an organization better suited for addressing policy and providing student services than planning campus programs. Programs, when implemented regularly, can educate our community and promote change. UK has many organizations whose missions are to regularly provide programs like these for our campus, and are recognized as some of the best in the country.

However, we cannot be fooled into thinking that an isolated panel about Islam or other faiths can respectfully and appropriately address the intricacies of these beliefs, nor that it will fulfill SGA’s mission.

Only when we seek lasting change that is embedded in the composition of our university’s core — be it curriculum, the student code of conduct, campus climate, university policies, or otherwise — can we create an institution that “[embraces] diversity and inclusion and respects the dignity and humanity of others.” Only then can we fulfill our University Creed and create a better tomorrow.

The “actual discussion on campus” about diversity and inclusion is, in fact, already occurring. Dismissing the efforts of students who tirelessly advocate for a more accepting and understanding community could discourage more from joining the movement — a movement that depends on the efforts of many rather than few.

As Director of Inclusion and Outreach, my committee and I work diligently to advocate for a campus community defined in these discussions. Our advocacy efforts are informed by our own identities, data and our relationships with diverse student populations.

Our six-member team works directly with students and organizations who represent and directly serve diverse students to inform SGA’s efforts. These include organizations focused on creating communities for students who identify with a religion, faith, or creed, a racial or ethnic category, or on the LGBTQ* spectrum. It also includes students with varying levels of ability, who are international students, or who are a first generation or transfer student.

Students from all backgrounds and identities have joined the Task Force for Diversity and Inclusion, an SGA initiative established in response to the numerous incidents of racism occurring last year. The task force is open to any student who desires to leave our university a more accessible and more affirming place for all identities.

Laying the foundation for a sustainable, productive committee and task force — both of which recommend policy amendments and methods for cultural change — aligns more closely to the mission of SGA.

Now more than ever, it is necessary that action accompany the narratives of injustice and exclusion that are not uncommon on our campus.

To any member of the UK community who wishes to get involved with the Task Force for Diversity and Inclusion, or to learn more about SGA’s inclusion and outreach efforts, please contact [email protected].

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